Photos: Marcus Cooper
via: Made Real
“Built on the principles of collaboration and idea sharing, #MadeReal is the result of collaboration between change making women, some of the world’s leading marketing, design, retailing, and branding specialists, and Pernod-Ricard
For the change makers, it’s an opportunity to exercise their talents, participate in the development of new brands and new products alongside branding experts, giving them invaluable experience they can use to pursue their own entrepreneurial dreams.” -Made Real
Thank you to Made Real for choosing me as their Wednesday Crush Wednesday Entrepreneur. Scroll below for the full interview.
Where do you find your inspiration for your style?
Hands down my inspiration stems from my family. My Mother taught me to be fearless and that included style. She wore anything, from pant suit business attire, bohemian dresses, an array of mixed patterns/textures to lace and leather. While my father taught me to the importance of tailoring and diversifying my outlook. He showed me how to expand my horizons of mixing menswear with womenswear. Then my identical twin sister inspired me to not care what others thought, she set the example of what style should be…fun. Oh and I have to mention 3 stylish women who had a big influence in my youth; Lisa Bonet, Diane Keaton and Diana Ross.
How did you get into this industry to start with?
I wanted to create a lifestyle website focusing on fashion, hair, beauty, health, food, film, photography, interior design and arts and cultures with the uniting core of the site to support, encourage and highlight the multi-faceted lives of women specifically women of color, which I felt was missing in mainstream media. After years of modeling and constantly be told the natural texture of my hair was not “commercially appealing”. I wanted to celebrate difference as the norm, “imperfections” as perfections, beauty beyond aesthetics and break down the “ideal standard” of beauty while coloring outside the lines through a platform that women could relate to, no matter what ethnicity.
What’s your biggest obstacle that you tackle daily as a female entrepreneur in New York City?
I have this conversation quite a bit with my twin sister since we work together constantly and the first obstacle that comes to mind is sometimes individuals take for granted your kindness especially as a woman, underestimating that as a weakness and try to manipulate that part of you for their own selfish motives.
Therefore finding the balance between two sides without changing the best part of you; being friendly while always exerting a professional demeanor. Always maintaining a business like setting makes a conflict easier to address or correct when/if the time comes.
from Urban Bush Babes http://ift.tt/1VCmfcb
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